Story of Blöndalshús - Countryside Escape
The Story of Blöndalshús
Blöndalshús was originally built in 1901 in the village of Hvammstangi and was home to the Blöndal family. The house holds a special place in local history and is closely connected to Gunnlaugur Blöndal, one of Iceland's most celebrated painters of the early 20th century. During his time in the house, Gunnlaugur used the attic—which was originally an open loft space—as his studio, where he painted and developed his work in the peaceful northern light. Today, you can see one of his original paintings, along with a portrait of the artist, displayed inside the house.
In 1971, the house was carefully dismantled and moved to our farm, Lækjarhvammur, by Árni Hraundal, who also built the white concrete house just below Blöndalshús. The building was reassembled on the farm and used as a storage barn for many years.
More than fifty years later, we began the exciting journey of bringing Blöndalshús back to life. We have worked hard to restore the building while preserving as much of its original character as possible. The original timber frame that supports the house is still in place, and we carefully restored and reused the original exterior wooden cladding wherever possible. Our goal has been to honour the history of the house while creating a warm, comfortable place where guests can experience a small piece of Icelandic heritage.
During the restoration, Árni's son, Ragnar Árnason, visited us and shared stories about growing up at Lækjarhvammur. He helped us identify many of the old landmarks and features that were once part of everyday life on the farm. One particularly memorable moment came when we uncovered an old cast-iron waffle maker during the restoration. Ragnar immediately recognized it as the waffle iron his family had once used.
Today, Blöndalshús begins yet another chapter. After more than a century—and a remarkable journey from Hvammstangi to Lækjarhvammur—it has once again become a home. We hope that during your stay you will feel a little of the history, craftsmanship, and love that have gone into preserving this special place, and that you will create a few wonderful memories of your own within its walls.
Discover the making of Blöndalshús in a video on Instagram.